Jolly Inn Restaurant & Banquet Hall

I'd rate this place 10 out of 5 stars if I could! First off, everything about the venue is absolutely gorgeous! My guests also really loved the food, from the beef cutlets down to the bread and butter. The managers were also super nice and helpful throughout the process of planning, and everyone had a really good time. We took the shower package, and I'd say their prices are pretty affordable if you have a tighter budget like we did! TLDR; everything about this place was classy, delicious, and amazing <3

We had our Baby shower here! Worked with Anastasia, she was great. Was on top of everything was really easy to work with. Over had the best experience. Would 100% recommend this place.

Celebrated my daughters Sweet 16 this 16th of May, 2025, from the moment we booked almost a year ago until the day after her event the staff at Jolly Inn were phenomenal! Anastasia was there every step of the way making sure everything was perfect the day of , and with out any hesitation answered any concern , doubt or question along the way making our experience truly the best ! If I could give this review a 100/5 with out a doubt we would! Food was delicious , Service was fantastic And management went above and beyond!

We stopped in early on a Saturday for lunch (price is more expensive on the weekend). They had so many options! My favorites were all the pierogis, the potato pancakes, polish sausage, beef schnitzel, dumplings, and ribs. They offered soup to start. They had four different kinds! A nice salad bar, all the Polish specialties, sides of rice, and different types of potatoes, plus ribs, chicken (three or four different ways), fish, they will also carve you beef and/or ham. R9lle and bread too. They had a dessert section with cakes and cookies. Drinks cost extra. The servers were friendly and attentive.

Been coming here for literally 20 years and I’m not sure what happened in the last couple of months but the food has gone down hill. Chinese food on the buffet and not done well might I add. The soups are all out of wack. The meatballs were dry. Not enough polish food on the polish buffet. Rubbery Chinese chicken and strange egg rolls. Old cook needs to come back before the old customers swear this place off.

My first time ever at a Polish buffet. Amazing food and wonderful service. My server was very sweet. Would totally recommend checking this place out!

Great experience at Jolly Inn. Traditional Polish food, buffet style restaurant. Full service bar, carving station, pierogies, potato pancakes , lots of cold salad options, several options of meat, sauerkraut, lots desserts and pastries, all the good stuff. Don't pass on the potato pancakes and mushroom soup. The broth of the soup was delicious!! The restaurant is bright and clean.Staff is pleasant, efficient and quick just wave them down if needed. No time for chitchat. Lots of good quality food. I definitely think it's worth the price.

Buffet food was very good. The hostesses are very polite and attentive.

My daughter's Quinceanera, held on Feb 24, 2024, was a memorable event in the lower hall. I opted for the Silver package and was delighted with the service. Bozena, in particular, was instrumental in the planning process. She always responded to my inquiries and allowed the girls to practice for the event. Her advice on setting up guests, DJ, and food was invaluable. The hall was spotless, the decorations were meticulous, and there were no issues with the electrical or lights. While there are stairs leading to the lower hall, an elevator was available for guests like my mother, who uses a wheelchair. The staff was exceptional, providing attentive service throughout the event. The servers were considerate, taking time to remove the food and allowing ample time for guests to enjoy their meals. They even offered refills, ensuring everyone was well taken care of. The food was a highlight, with its delicious and fresh flavors earning rave reviews from the guests. The bartender was equally impressive, serving various delicious drinks with a smile. As a bonus, a coat check was available. Bozena was also a great help with the cake, assisting with its setting and timing. They even cut and distributed it for guests after dinner and set up a portion in take-home containers. Bozena was always ready to assist whenever I needed something; her dedication was remarkable. I am deeply grateful to her and the entire staff for making this day so special and stress-free. Thank you. I am also sharing a few pictures of the hall, food, and our wonderful time.

Came for Easter and it was wonderful. Came with my wife, my 96 year old mother and my brother with his family. We were seated almost immediately. Despite being super busy, the service was attentive and friendly. The food was as always, wonderful. I really love this place and can't recommend it enough. If you are looking for a warm, friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy a buffet styled meal with family and friends, the Jolly Inn is the place to go.

I just learned that the owner sold the business and they had a new owner running the Polish buffet with new staff running. Although I miss the familiar staff and ambiance. Had a craving for polish food since my Seattle Sutton's diet and since transformation some food is not there like the old setup. The barley with blood. Not sure if the fried or if they're using the same cooks that made the pressure cooking chicken that tastes like fried chicken? Other than that beat it at a liquor bar that the old owner didn't have. It came to a shock cuz I haven't been here since 2021. Right now 3 stars because of certain polish dishes I was looking for. The new staff was nice to ask how the food was and soup is included. Younger staff than the older familiar servers in the previous way it was run by.

We attend a quinceańera aka sweet sixteenth Open bar 4 course dinner Dj, and live music evrething was great Service on point batrooms clean I like that

If you like traditional Polish food, this is the restaurant for you. We were greeted by the hostess and sat right away. The buffet includes soup and ice cream. Assortment of cold and hot food.

My family went through a difficult time recently; I had no energy to cook, and decided to call JI. It was in a last moment, but they still took my order for traditional Xmas Eve meatless dinner. Everything was delish and affordable. The manager, Bozena, was super kind. If you crave Polish food, run there to try a variety of tasty Polish dishes.

Great staff and amazing food- came from California and the best food I've had in Chicago

On our first post-pandemic visit, the only noticeable difference was replacement of the meat carving station with a pierogi station. Jolly Inn remains a jolly good traditional comfort food nirvana with its all-you-can-eat buffet, possibly the best potato pancakes on this planet, and the same smiling and helpful staff as in the past. If mushroom soup is available, don't pass it up! I usually don't bother with the dessert table but my companions liked the featured dessert of the day, which was good old-fashioned Polish tres leches cake (giggle!).

Beautiful venue,excellent food and friendly service. Recently I had my 50th birthday party at Jolly Inn Banquets and I can tell that they take care of their customers. I had many different requests and they were able to accommodate and also they were able to recommend what would be best. I also appreciated the food which had generous portions for my guests and you could definitely taste real butter. Very delicious and affordable. Jolly Inn -Best Banquets in town!

I called twice last week to confirm business hours for New Year's Day. I was told they would be open their standard hours. Then I called to see if we would need a reservation for 5 at 11:30 AM. On neither call was I told that the buffet price would be $35.99 vs the normal $18.95 price. There was nothing posted inside or outside the restaurant advising of the price difference. We found out when we went to pay our bill. Oh yes you are also charged 3% for using a credit card. The hot buffet had the same food that is usually served and most of it was lukewarm at best. This I don't understand because they do not put very large portions out at a time and refill frequently. So was the food sitting somewhere in between? The salad buffet had a few items I have not seen before. The salad bar is always fresh which I truly appreciate. When we went to check out and were told the price we were very unhappily surprised. The hostess checking us out said we tried to tell everyone. Well no one told me on the two phone calls I made the week before. No one said anything when we came in about the price difference for the day. I won't even tell you about how rude the hostess was about where they sat us. After our soup was served she came over to tell us we had to move to where they have bigger tables. My mother is 98 and her friend is 93 and neither one can do stairs very well. The only place that they had tables that would sit the 5 of us would mean they would have to go up two stairs. Doesn't seem like much but talk to me when you are 98. So 3 sat at a table and 2 sat in a booth. So what did you get for the very significant price difference ... a lot more dessert choices. Between the high cost, the lukewarm food and a hostess that can get a better attitude...we will no longer be customers.

Really good, very authentic polish food buffet. My husband hadn't have cabbage bundles like that since his mom died, had a really different type of seasoning he loved. From the goulash to the chicken livers to the to die for potato pancakes it was great. And really good desserts too. Small free parking lot across the street. You'll here lots of folks conversing in polish. We're going back during the week for the senior special!!

Really beautiful remodeling in the banquet rooms. I went there last night for a Polish American function and the second floor banquet room was exquisite. Clean and brightly lit. The men's room was also exceptionally clean. And of course, the buffet food was really good, especially the kielbasa sausages. I believe that this establishment is under new ownership, that may be the reason for all the new remodeling. Five stars....

Went there for a wedding, the food was really great and the staff was great also. Looking forward to go to the restaurant.

This is the New Jolly Inn (New owner) with very good polish comfort food served buffet style. Some of our favorites are their delicious hot mushroom soup. I visited Warsaw, Poland & the soup tastes as good as theirs. The Chicken Marsala has a wonderful sauce. The Hungarian Goulash, deep fried chicken are also very good.. They have a large fruit & salad bar along with desserts. Their staff is very friendly & helpful. They also serve food to go. Buffet items change daily. WE LOVE IT!!

Been going to Jolly Inn off and on for decades. I was pleasantly surprised to see they upgraded the inside. Turns out Jolly Inn was purchased by new owners. The food was piping, hot, fresh and of course delicious!! Many compliments to the chef!! Much thanks to new owners for keeping a iconic establishment going, hopefully for many more years! Best wishes to the previous owners. You guys had a great run. Thanks for the memories!!

Such nice owners and staff. Beautiful and cozy dining area with amazing food. Great place to take the family. Overall would definitely recommend!

My husband and I love this place. It is quite a ride for us being an hour each way. However he is Polish and I am not...so I appreciate the well rounded menu which allows for other choices so I enjoy some of the Polish ones as well It is far enough to discourage other family from making the trip..but we do it anyway.. It if a family oriented buffet but very clean and the wait staff is excellent.. Parking is a challenge!!

Wonderful Polish food and servers very attentive . Soup and ice cream included. Personnel always checking food. Definitely a five star review!

Sylwester 2023-24 nie było dekoracji do zdjęć za dużo osób za mało miejsca do tańca jedyna dobra strona tego Sylwestra była Muzyka zespołu Słowianie

Great food and excellent prices equals fantastic value. Wish they weren't so far from us otherwise we'd go more often but we went for the first time in April and we will go back for sure. Tons of options to choose from.

Very vendor unfriendly. You can;t use the elevator at all so you have to lug all your equipment up the stairs yourself. They treat the DJs, Videographers and Photographers like prisoners. Whenever a Bride and Groom say they are having their event at The Jolly Inn I tell them to find another person for their wedding. If you have any family members who are in a wheelchair or even having mobility problems this place is not handicap friendly.

Good evening. This is my first visit to your facility. I want to express my gratitude to the staff. Very charming, friendly girls. The cuisine is very tasty!!! For the first time I tried your razukhi-respect to the person who cooked them!!! I will be happy to visit your place for the second time!!! Very tasty!!!

Incredible service and food was delicious! Newly renovated banquet with LED lights and staff is phenomenal! Highly Recommend

Been going to the jolly club years not like use to be no carving station for roast beef new owners should of left everything as I was.

Very good place to eat , I've been traveled everywhere almost , but this one is the most ethnic food i ever had on US soil , everything was at its top , taste flavor color Wish I lived in Chicago so I could join this hidden gem more often !!!

Went at 5:30 pm. Had to wait 30 minutes for some trays to be filled. Presentation was not good. What food was available definitely sitting there for hours. Had 3 little corn pieces in the tray from 5:30 til we left after 7pm. Never filled. Had to ask waitress how much longer for any vegetables and then they brought some out. Waitress very nice. Desserts were good. Won't be back.

Great Polish food! Service,cleanliness, variety all excellent! Hard to find a great Polish restaurant anymore.

Authentic Polish food at a great price. Have been going here for a few years, a real special treat.

Changed owners. Basically the same things. Food was better before if u ask me. Service is good. They did some upgrades inside. Raised prices. Hopefully they work out the kinks

Very good Polish food, and alot of it! I have been coming here for decades. The deserts are not sweet, but I would not expect that of a true Polish restaurant. ( I'm sorry that not everyone shares that opinion.)

Growing up, one of our favorite places to eat was Polish buffet on certain Sunday afternoons. I haven't been to one in years and I asked my friends of Polish heritage where to go to have my husband and son try it since we don't have the opportunity to enjoy Polish fare in SoCal. We agreed to meet here. Parking was not an issue. We partook from a vast array of hearty meaty dishes and of course, pirogis! I had no room for dessert. It was so delicious. I know for sure we will. Be back. The service was great but it did help that my friends are Polish. They were very welcoming.

So, I went to Jolly Inn with 23 people. I meant to call ahead, but forgot to call. So we walked in and thy treated us like gold. They had plenty of food in the buffet, and eery time we emptied a pan, they brought more. And it was soooo good! We will be back! Thanks, Jolly Inn!!!

Jolly Inn is not a hotel, though with the Polish buffet being served here on a daily basis you may wish you could pull up a bunk after eating lots of food here. My bud and I dined here fairly late on a Friday evening - we essentially closed out the place as they close at 9PM on Fridays and Saturdays. The all-you-can-eat buffet price is about $12 a head, and goes up to $14 on the weekend. For comparison with the two Red Apple restaurants (Polish buffet restaurants favored by my Polish-born bud and by me), I'd say Jolly Inn compares somewhat favorably but is just not as good as Red Apple. Jolly Inn is less expensive, but you have a smaller (and not quite as tasty) food selection while soup and beverage do cost extra. You can eat Polish faves such as stuffed cabbage rolls, potato pancake, cheese blintz, Polish sausage, pierogi, carved meat, plus pasta and various salad bar selections. My bud and I both agree that the tastiest item we ate was the apple fritter. At first I did not see any, but on my last go-round I did notice a final batch of a few fritters so after my friend's glowing recommendation I snatched one. In a sense the apple fritter was my final dessert, after I consumed a couple of decent dessert items. Jolly Inn also is big on banquets and catering. The restaurant is on Irving Park Road just west of Narragansett, with a free parking lot though street parking seems to generally be available too.

The workers here are so nice, and the food is always very good. I have never had to search for our server or sit without being checked on. It is a delight. I would recommend them.

Ever since I can remember, I've been coming to Jolly Inn for parties & holiday dinners! Ever since the remodeling & Upgraded menu, I've been visiting more often. It's the best Polish food in Chicago! Just like grandma used to make! Always fresh & a great variety!

Best polish restaurant & buffet we had. My best friend recommended this place & we've been coming here ever since. Buffet always has fresh food up & ready. I love the potato pancakes & meat pierogis. They also offer pasta which I get as well. The waitstaff is very friendly, polite, & always is on top of whatever we need. I also love the atmosphere. Very nice & relaxed environment. If you're ever out by the area come give this place a try. Its well worth the 1 hour trip. Can't wait to come back here again.

This past Friday we had my daughter and son in law's wedding at the newly remodeled Jolly Inn Banquet. The room is stunning!! The food was fabulous and the wait staff was wonderful and accommodating. Bozena was so helpful, caring and wonderful to all our planning needs to make this night for our family perfect and special. I would give 10 stars if I could. All our family and friends are still talking about how wonderful it was. You cannot go wrong if you choose Jolly Inn for your events and have Bozena help you, she is absolutely wonderful!

I stopped in today for some cheese blintzes and potato pancakes for my mother. She said they were better than they've ever been. The staff was friendly and helpful- they made sure everything was fresh and hot. We'll be back soon. Thanks :)

I have been a patron at this restaurant for years. We don't go as often because it's far from where we live. We usually have a good experience here with the selection of food they have. Last night we sat in immense traffic to get there, which has nothing to do with the restaurant. When we arrived, we began choosing food from the buffet and it seemed like it was all old from the beginning of lunch circa 10:30am and we arrived at 5pm. The worst part about it was we brought family with us from out of town telling them what a great buffet it was to feel like idiots afterwards. It was awful. AWFUL!!!!! I challenge the management/owner to contact us to hear about our experience personally.

We visited the regular restaurant/buffet. I liked that they bring soup to the table right away (asking if you want mushroom, chicken or borscht( The . borscht was really delicious and others liked their soups. After that, you begin the giant buffet. A lot of the food was tasty. I also liked the fact that you could hear people at your table. I'm comparing it to the Polish buffet restaurant Red Apple on Milwaukee Ave that's noisy and crowded. Although the Red Apple is excellent at keeping all the pans of food on the buffet topped off and they're piping hot in the pans. The Jolly Inn lets the food go down to the bottom before refilling and it isn't piping hot. At the Jolly Inn, I found the giant TV screen offensive, just above our table. I didn't hear the sound, but it was Fox news with Trump's mug all over the place. Our waitress was really lovely at the Jolly Inn and helpful and pleasant. We had about 10 people and she offered to do separate checks for anyone who wanted, The Red Apple is not as helpfulin that regard.

I definitely wouldn't shy away from bringing most people I know here. It's a great example of how good one of these very scarce smorgasbord's can be. We visited on an early Sunday afternoon and the parking lot was practically empty. It turned out to be perfect timing until a large family gathering robbed us of proper table service and consequently, I was never offered a refill of my water even though the waitress brought more tea for my guests. Whatever...the food quality really helped make up for that. They keep the buffet clean and replenished as one would hope. To anyone who claims a food item was dried out, I'd say they're the fool that didn't wait a couple minutes for a fresh batch to appear. So on one trip I passed over the last of the Kiszka and came back a few minutes later for a wonderfully meaty and moist new pan full of goodness. That's far and away my favorite Polish food and theirs has very little barley (as God intended) Nothing was overly salted and the gravy used for the beef, livers and gizzards had a terrific spice note to it and yet remained perfectly balanced. Everybody loved the kraut and a quick glance through the photos proves there is no shortage of food options here. Everything I tried was fantastic except the predictably disappointing fried shrimp, but the kid in me still had to grab a couple anyway. One note of caution though, it took me three hours to finish this simple review on account of the food coma I slipped into after getting home.

It's been about 30 years since I've had a meal this unpleasant and downright awful. Nothing tasted even passable, let alone good. My first bite of potato pancake was as terrible and off-putting as my last bite of cheese pierogis. Everything tasted of rancid oil, including the liver and onions, which, besides tasting foul, was completely overcooked. I really don't like to leave bad reviews, but this meal truly left a bad taste in my mouth and an upset stomach.

I don't think words can describe what an amazing experience I just had. The food was incredible! I've been coming here for decades and always had nice experiences, but today was exceptionally good. The selection and quality has been improved. I make the trip from the Elgin area to come here. The potato pancakes are amazing. The crunch is perfect. The stuffed cabbage with the tomato sauce was great. The barley was great and all the other polish delicacies, which if I try and pronounce them, will give the reader a headache. It's all you can eat so bring an appetite. The place is spotless, the staff make you feel at home and no one tries to rush you out. They also have an awesome desert selection with great tasting Kolaczki cookies. I'm less than 15 minutes from just stuffing myself and I want to turn around and go get more

The BEST pierogis and friendly service here. Potato pancakes were great, mushroom soup was delicious, three different types of pierogis, cheese blintzes, yummy mashed potatoes, huge salad bar. Really couldn't ask for more for 16.95!

Sometimes you gotta fill up with buffet and hope variety of items equates to a few hits (to balance against the misses). The Jolly Inn fits this "hit and miss" bill since the buffet is large and the price is likely the lowest of the Chicago Polish buffets. We came about 1 hour before closing so many of the items while still tasty, had begun to dry out. There were at least a dozen meat choices including turkey legs, sausages, and pork shanks. The best meat was the roasted beef, sliced by the attendant. Just the right amount of char marks and fat, yet still tender. Plenty of Polish staples like 4 types of pierogies. Fruits, veggies, and baked goods for dessert finished the meal. Meringue cookies were light, airy, and delish. Service was friendly and not rushed even though we closed the restaurant. Parking is plentiful on the street and in their own lot.

Absolutely amazing. Went as a party of four and arrived about an hour before closing, but that was no problem as fresh food was immediately brought out. Our waiter was extremely friendly and nice. She encouraged us to eat as much as possible and even brought out freshly prepared blintzes and apple pancakes for us to try. As for the food, 3/4 of us had never tried polish food before and the entire table was so impressed and found everything beyond delicious. 10/10 would recommend, although make sure you come very hungry because the food fills you up so quickly.

Check off #2 on the must have list while in ethnic Chicago...Polish food. There is zero in the Polish department in Indianapolis so let's eat! My brother and I stopped for dinner some time back. Started with a bowl of sauerkraut soup...delicious. Sodas out of a can...that's fine. Sprite to wash back the salt and pork fat. Onto the buffet...where to start. So many choices, seriously how do they keep the doors open? I can't list it all but my favorite is the pork stew and it isn't even close. Such terrific comfort food when done well and I thought theirs was great. Plenty of sides to go with it...kraut, pickles, etc. Blintz and kolaczki for dessert. 4000 calories...check. Even bought a Powerball ticket from the attractive Polish woman working the counter. Ended up hitting a few numbers but was already back in Indiana and couldn't cash it. Bummer. A buffet on principle doesn't get 5 stars, but this was a terrific way to try multiple things at once. Really enjoyed myself and for the price it felt like stealing honestly.

Simple, but well prepared dishes, everything I had was enjoyable. Space was nicely decorated with plenty of seating options, everywhere I experienced was incredibly cleaned - showed great pride in the business. Great selection of salads (Polish Slaws and such), meats and veg. Plus nicely presented deserts, did not partake. Saurkraut was awesome, enjoyed a whole plate alone! Great staff from greeter to server!

First time at Jolly Inn and definitely not the last time! If you are craving some good Polish food and some more, you won't be disappointed! They really have a great variety of buffet style foods here! I think this will be my regular dinner option now, for sure!

It's ten minutes farther than Red Apple is to us, so this review is focused on the pluses we get for the distance: - Pricewise, I think it may work out very much close to the same for us. It's two of us plus my daughter and it seems that Red Apple has been charging us just for two adults, while Jolly Inn charged us two adults plus child. - Entrees worth trying: chicken livers, potato and apple pancakes, vegetables (asparagus, green beans, zucchini). Roast beef, meatball with gravy, meat pierogi, cabbage roll. Flan and a cranberry cake. - Soup (included at Red Apple) and drink will be separate charge here but ice cream is included (will have to try next time just to know). - Cold/salad bar selection is smaller than the Red Apple. - Multiple seating areas with choices of booths and tables - City metered parking in front of the restaurant, but check their private lots first (east side of Natchez and west of the building).